Book Interviews by Ke Wei
Kevin Tse – Soccer, Rowing, Girls
K: So, what’s your favorite book?
P: I got the best book ever, it’s Alex Rider by Anthony Horrowitz.
K: What made you read the book?
P: It was a gift given to me when I lived in England.
K: Ah. What’s it about?
P: The books about a teenage spy that works for the MI6 and faces a lot of epic challenges.
K: That’s pretty concise… so… what’s the MI6?
P: That’s the British version of the CIA.
K: Oh, ok. So tell us your favorite “epic challenge.”
P: Alright, so Alex parachutes from a plane hijacked from the enemy, crash-lands through a glass roof into the enemy HQ. He shoots 6 bullets. One into the enemy prime ministers hand to stop him from activating a machine that would kill all the school children in England. Two into the activation button of the machine. Three into the enemy spy that was working with the MI6. The spy is the person who gave the enemy prime minister the SuperComputer AI used to build the machine.
K: Wow… so epic… ok, who would recommend the book to?
P: Anyone who is interested in an extremely epic action book.
K: Hmm, since it’s so epic, how did you feel when you read the book?
P: Amazing. I feel like I can parachute 5 miles straight into a museum with security and reporters, fire bullets into the crowd below me and have no consequences.
K: Thanks… don’t shoot me.
Chris Moll- Dancing, Sleeping, Cats
K: What’s your favorite book?
C: The Girl in Blue by Ann
K: Hm. What’s it about?
C: The book is like Mulan but during the civil war, a girl pretends to be a boy to fight but she gets caught and got sent to a confederate general’s wifes maid.
K: Wait, why would she randomly try to join a war?
C: Her father wanted her to marry an older man but she didn’t so she ran away because wanted to break out of the “16 year old girl” role.
K: Ok, what is your favorite scene?
C: She was working as a spy and an older woman taught her how to do stuff and one day the girl was sick and the older woman brought her over, and the author described how she lived alone and against common perception of a woman because pretty much redefines a common perception of women.
K: Are you a feminist?
C: Kind of…
K: Wow. Alright, what made you read the book?
C: Uhhh… at that time, I read anything like a book whore.
K: Who would you recommend it to?
C: I would recommend it to ppl who liked watching mulan and open minded ppl who are concious of social boundaries.
K: Well put. Thanks so much.
Disi Chen – Handball, Screeching
K: What’s your all time favorite book?
D: Uhhh… um… uhh..
K: Uhh…?
D: Uhhh… Twilight?
K: Seriously?
D: What? I can’t help it! I’m a sucker for damsel in distress and knight in shining armor stuff.
K: Yeah, ok. So, what’s the book about?
D: Who doesn’t know what Twilight is about?
K: Fine, what about the book attracted you?
D: The fairytale aspect of the book, I guess. And I like the attraction between one person who is completely normal and the other who is immortal.
K: What is your favorite scene?
D: The one where Edward sneaks into Belle’s bedroom!
K: That’s creepy… why is it your favorite?
D: Because the scene was incredibly cute and funny and awfully romantic.
K: What’s so romantic about sneaking into someone’s bedroom? Sounds creepy…
D: It just is!
K: Fine, who would you recommend Twilight to?
D: Girls who are suckers for damsels in distress and knights in shining armor.
K: Ok. Thank you for your time!
Dani Chen – Nutella, Hates Anime
K: What’s your favorite book?
D: The Princess Bride by William Goldman.
K: What’s it about?
D: It’s about the love story between Westley and Buttercup.
K: Who are they and what happened?
D: Westley is this man who is madly in love with Buttercup who is this extremely beautiful woman even when she’s covered in dirt and rags. Westley goes off on a journey to try and impress Buttercup but gets captured by a pirate. Buttercup hears of this news and becomes heartbroken. Ever since then, Buttercup became cold and unable to love. Then she married a prince for his money. Isn’t that awesome?
K: Uhh, right…
D: And then Westley returns and tries to get Buttercup back but she became all bitchy. That’s when the story really begins.
K: Wow, Westley and Buttercup seem like interesting characters, can you tell me more about them?
D: Umm… well Buttercup is this really naïve girl who is like the most beautiful girl in the world. She lived on a farm with a servant boy and that boy is Westley. Westley always loved Buttercup but was always too shy to say anything about it. He’d express his love by “throwing all the bullies around” for Buttercup. Buttercup, on the other hand, didn’t even realize he existed until the Queen of the land came by and tried to seduce Westley.
K: Cool. What’s your favorite scene?
D: My favorite scene is when the prince comes to court Buttercup and they have this huge argument where the prince threatens to kill her. Buttercup refuses to marry the prince out of love, but the prince refused to have love in the marriage. Buttercup realized that such terms were fine with her so she went and married him.
K: … What made you read the book?
D: At that time, I went on a book buying spree and Princess Bride just happened to be one of them.
K: What are some things you love about the book?
D: The humor in the book. It’s really funny in a clever way. I love the style it was written in even more. William Goldman makes it seem like he’s retelling a story from his childhood memories by adding really funny comments.
K: Sounds good. Who would you recommend The Princess Bride to?
D: Anyone who is interested in a uniquely written romance novel. It has a bit of action in it too.
K: I think I’ll read it. Thanks for your time.
Jessica Huang – Handball, Showering
K: Hey, what’s your favorite book?
J: Uhhh, I read?
K: Yes, you also have a favorite book.
J: www.facebook.com
K: Haha! Thanks for your time.
Book recommendations by Stuyvesant students for Stuyvesant students and readers around the world. Also known as Stuy Bookshelf/Book Box. Submissions are open—click on register below!